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Gisborne end of the bridge. Water in foreground is being pumped out of one of the caissons
The Rope Construction Company, premier New Zealand bridge builders, probably wish they had never heard of Matawhero. It is now two years since they started building the Waipaoa River highway bridge, and they are still fighting an uphill battle to get it finished.
Exceptional rainfall caused ground slumping along the river banks last year. Earth movements wrecked the Te Arai bridge at Manutuke, and threw caissons out of line at Matawhero.
The damage was not repaired before winter was round again. Now, with drier weather coming, water is being pumped out of the caissons at Matawhero so that work can be resumed.

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Down the mine: a damaged caisson can be seen in foreground; workman is standing on replacement sunk alongside
Two sets of caissons, the big concrete cylinders on which the bridge tiers are built, are not yet ready for work to proceed.
New cylinders are being sunk alongside the damaged ones. The sets will then be tied together with a specially-designed concrete beam.
Latest estimate of completion dates February, 1957.